Super Bowl halftime shows 1967-present

By By NICK EATON

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Super Bowl halftime shows 1967-present

Coming up Feb. 2 is the 48th Super Bowl, and hence the 48th halftime show. But halftime hasn't always been the extravagant spectacle it is these days — the show has gone through many metamorphoses through the years. Click through the gallery to see what the halftime show has been all about from Super Bowl I through Super Bowl XLVIII.

Performers: Al Hirt, University of Arizona marching band, University of Michigan marching band, Anaheim (Calif.) High School drill team.

The first-ever Super Bowl halftime show was decidedly less of a spectacle than it is these days. The first few shows mainly featured college marching bands, though New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt performed in pregame ceremonies for Super Bowl I. Grambling State University's marching band joined Arizona's for the national anthem.

In the early years of the Super Bowl, pregame ceremonies were more notable than halftime shows. In 1969, entertainer Bob Hope led a tribute to the Apollo 8 astronauts (the first to orbit the moon), and singer Anita Bryant performed the national anthem. The halftime show also got a theme: ''America Thanks.''

This one was all the University of Texas, whose marching band played before the game and at halftime. The halftime theme was ''A Musical America'' and the national anthem was performed by country singer Charlie Pride.

Up With People, a touring group that advocates cultural inclusion (and still exists), headlined the Super Bowl X entertainment with pregame and halftime performances. The halftime show's theme, ''200 Years and Just a Baby,'' honored the bicentennial of the United States.

Disney produced this halftime show (pictured) and gave it an ''It's a Small World'' theme, based on the ride at Disneyland. (Try not to get the song stuck in your head.) It was also the first Super Bowl halftime show to include crowd participation in the form of a card stunt.

The Super Bowl continued its obsession with Up With People, who performed at halftime with a ''Salute to the '60s and Motown'' theme — appropriate for the Motor City. The University of Michigan marching band played before the game (pictured).

Performers: University of Florida marching band, Florida State University marching band.

Disney produced this halftime show, themed ''Salute to Superstars of the Silver Screen.'' Barry Manilow performed the national anthem. Also, during a break in the third quarter, Apple ran its famous ''1984'' Super Bowl ad, which would change the way the Big Game was used as an advertising platform.

Tops in Blue, an ensemble of active-duty U.S. Air Force members, performed a halftime show with the theme, ''World of Children's Dreams.'' The Children's Choir of San Francisco sang the national anthem.

Up With People returned, once again, to the Super Bowl in 1986. But the most memorable musical number from that NFL season was the ''Super Bowl Shuffle,'' performed by members of the Chicago Bears (pictured).

The Beach Boys performed before the game (pictured) and Neil Diamond sang the national anthem. The halftime show was was introduced by comedian George Burns and was themed, ''Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary.'' It was produced by Disney.

You'd think there'd be some Elvis Presley songs with an Elvis impersonator starring in this halftime show, but there weren't. Fans were also given 3-D glasses to view three-dimensional images on the stadium screens.

Performers: New Kids on the Block, Disney characters, hundreds of kids, Warren Moon.

In another Disney spectacle, the boy band New Kids on the Block took the stage after a performance of Disney's ''It's a Small World'' (notice a pattern?). Also, Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon made a cameo with Minnie Mouse during the show.

Fitting for Minneapolis that time of year, the halftime theme was ''Winter Magic'' and the show honored the 1992 Winter Olympics (which took place in Albertville, France). Figure skaters Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill performed on the world's smallest skating rink, and were followed by singer Gloria Estefan's finale.

Things took a turn in 1993, when Michael Jackson was the only performer and the halftime show didn't resemble a variety show. Some fans were let onto the field as a closer audience, and the Super Bowl halftime show started to look like it does now. When Jackson took the stage, he just stood there for a good minute and a half, letting the anticipation build. He sure knew how to put on a good show.

Disney took production back and turned the halftime show into a big commercial for its new ''Indiana Jones'' theme-park ride. The show featured actors playing Indiana Jones and his girlfriend Marion Ravenwood, and had pyrotechnics and crowd participation.

The second halftime show with a single performer, this one featured pyrotechnics again and celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Super Bowl. The show ended with Ross being flown out of the stadium in a helicopter.

The halftime show was themed ''Blues Brothers Bash'' and was just that — a rock party featuring some of the biggest names in blues. Unfortunately, while rehearsing before the Big Game, a bungie-jumping stunt performer died when she jumped from the Superdome rafters and hit the turf, which had cement underneath. The bungie-jumping portion of the show was taken out.

Disney was back to producing, but the show wasn't about Mickey Mouse or Indiana Jones. The theme was ''Tapestry of Nations'' and featured some of the hottest artists of the time. Plus Phil Collins. Actor Edward James Olmos also provided the narration ... so say we all.

The show, produced by MTV, featured a video lead-in starring the performers while the stage was being set up, leading directly into the show. Aerosmith and 'N Sync took turns performing their own songs, and Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly joined in.

With 9/11 fresh in the minds of all Americans, the halftime show in 2002 was a tribute to the men and women lost in the terrorist attacks the year before. Two backdrops behind the band showed the names of the victims, and lead singer Bono wore a jacket lined with the American flag.

It was a relatively conservative halftime show, with lights and the performers but not much more spectacle — though Shania Twain did sing from a big, swinging arm and No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani was energetic as always. Stefani joined Sting for a finale of ''Message in a Bottle.''

The show was produced by MTV and had a ''Rock the Vote'' theme, but it will always be remembered for Janet Jackson's ''wardrobe malfunction.'' At the end of the performance, Justin Timberlake reached over and removed the covering over Jackson's right breast, and her breast was exposed on live television — albeit with a ''nipple shield'' piece of jewelry. CBS ended up getting fined by the FCC for the incident's live broadcast, and Super Bowl halftime shows are now televised with a delay.

The halftime show got a little more out-there with a performance by Prince, but aside from a guitar silhouette at one point that some felt looked phallic, there wasn't much controversy. Many viewers thought it was one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever.

Another simple performance by a huge star, the 2009 halftime show was four songs by the Boss himself. Bruce Springsteen had previously rejected offers to play at the Super Bowl, then realized how huge of a stage the event is.

The Who performed an epic five-song set complete with a laser light show and plenty of other lighting effects. Perhaps of note, the Super Bowl aired on CBS that year, and three of the songs the Who played were the themes for CBS's three ''CSI'' shows.

For the first time in several years, this halftime show had a theme: ''Tron Legacy,'' for the movie that came out that year. It was mainly a Black Eyed Peas performance, but Slash of Guns 'n' Roses took the stage to play ''Sweet Child o' Mine'' and Usher went up to perform his ''OMG.''

Madonna was the star, but M.I.A. stole all the attention when she gave the middle finger to the camera during the broadcast. The gesture came during a line in the song where M.I.A. sang ''I don't give a s--t,'' and the censors missed blurring her finger out.

Dressed
in typical Beyoncé garb -- high heels, a leather and lace corset, and
not much else -- went solo for much of the performance, departing from
the routine of backup dancers and rock-star cameos. That is, until she
welcomed the other former members of Destiny's Child for a sort of
reunion at midfield of the Superdome. The show received much critical
acclaim.

Bruno Mars was a crowd-pleaser performing hits like "Treasure," "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Runaway." The big moment, though, was when the Red Hot Chili Peppers joined him on stage to sing "Give it Away." The show ended with a photo tribute to the U.S. military while Mars sang "Just the Way You Are." less

Katy
Perry is known for on-stage theatrics and some crazy costumes–like a
whipped-cream bikini in her "California Girls" video–so, it's unlikely
that that this year's Super Bowl performance will be dull. We don't know
what she'll sing, but with dozens of hits like "Roar," "Firework" and
"Dark Horse," she's got plenty to choose from.

Kickoff of Super Bowl XLIX is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST on Feb. 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The event is slated to be televised on NBC. less

Super Bowl XLIX — Feb 1, 2015 | Arizona | Patriots v. Seahawks

Performer: Katy Perry

Katy Perry is known for on-stage theatrics and some crazy costumes–like a whipped-cream bikini in her "California ... more